Whispers in Whiterun
by the-sage-of-wind
Summary: Sotteta comes back to Whiterun to find that Dragonsreach is being haunted by a certain Daedra. Semi-sequel to My Jarl. Rated M for sexual themes.


**_A/N:_** _I have been on a slight hiatus for quite a few months. I hope to get back into writing as soon as I can. I love this pairing, but this will never be a full story. When the mood strikes me, I do plan to do a series of standalone stories - aka one-shots - with Sotteta and the lovely Balgruuf. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy!_

I spent a lot of time called away from Whiterun lately, trying to make Skyrim a better place. I had just come back from ridding Dawnstar of Vaermina, and I had been gone for almost a fortnight. I missed Balgruuf more than anything, but I still felt like Skyrim needed me more.

The first thing I did when Lydia and I returned to Whiterun was clean up and go visit Dragonsreach. I ran up the stairs, impatiently waiting for the guards to open the great doors of Dragonsreach for me. When they let me inside, I skipped excitedly towards Balgruuf's throne, waiting for him to finish his deep conversation with his brother. Irileth nodded at me in greeting; we were much more civil to each other these days.

He saw me out of the corner of his eye. The stress on his face instantly dissipated as his eyes met mine. "By the Eight Sotteta, you're here." He smiled, but it seemed sad, like he had the entire weight of Skyrim on his shoulders. He pulled me into his lap and pressed his mouth to mine. I giggled when his beard tickled my chin. He grinned against my lips.

"I missed you," I whispered.

"I missed you too love," he said, pressing his forehead to mine.

I felt an all too familiar ache in between my legs that flamed from his simple touch. "Do you have some free time?" I said suggestively.

He smirked. "As much as I want to, there's a pressing matter to attend to."

My face fell, and I pouted showing my disappointment. "Anything I can help with?"

He sighed. "You may be my only hope. Will you follow me to my chambers?"

"Of course my Jarl." I hopped off his lap and took his outstretched hand.

When we got there, he looked around the area cautiously before closing and locking the door. He did the same thing in his bedroom when he asked me to sit down on his bed. "Balgruuf, what in Oblivion is going on?" I snapped.

He sat down beside me, avoiding my eyes. "It's Nelkir. He's a dark child. I don't know what to do with him. He was always a quiet lad, but lately something has changed. He's become brooding. Violent. He won't say a word to me, but I don't know how I upset him."

I paled. "What has he been doing?"

"Threatening anyone who does him the slightest wrong. Gods Sotteta, I don't want to involve you. But you've travelled, and seen things…If you could speak to him. Draw out the truth. I would be immensely grateful."

I put a gentle hand on his cheek. "I would love to help."

He exhaled a breath he was holding in. "You are quite a woman. I am lucky to have you."

I flushed, and he smirked. "Your blush is beautiful. I missed that perfect freckled face of yours."

"Stop it," I said, embarrassed.

He chuckled, grabbing me for a quick kiss. "Sotteta?"

"Yes love?"

"I know you are a busy woman, but could I possibly request your presence in Whiterun more often?" He said, his voice going slightly higher than usual. I knew it was a tell that he was nervous.

I smiled at him affectionately. "I think that could be arranged. I realize that I've been absent for too long. I'm sorry Balgruuf. I'll stay with you."

He looked relieved. "Things feel much calmer when you are here. I…Also sleep much better."

"So do I," I admitted.

(~~)

Balgruuf pointed me in the direction of Nelkir's room, and when I entered, I could tell that he was disturbed. He had an evil air about him; it could be felt in the room. I wondered what was poisoning his mind and what _I_ could possibly do about it.

"Hello Nelkir," I said cautiously.

He turned to glare at me. "What do you want, _harlot_?"

I glared back, momentarily surprised by his comment. "Your father said to speak to you."

He sneered. "So the disgusting pig sent you to bother me? One day, I'll tear his face apart so he can leave me alone! My father doesn't know anything about me!"

I frowned, assessing him, and he continued. "But I know about him. And about the war. More than he might think."

"Oh really? What sort of things?"

He laughed. "I know that he still worships Talos. That he hates the Thalmor almost as much as the Stormcloaks do. That he worries about being chased from Whiterun."

I didn't say anything. I knew all this about Balgruuf. We talked a lot during our evenings together. "What else?"

Nelkir's eyes narrowed. "That he…that I'm…that I don't have the same mother as my brother and sister."

I could feel the blood draining from my face. Could this be true? I was sceptical, but it wasn't like it was uncommon. Maybe everyone already knew this, but I had just been left out of the conversation? "How do you know these things?" I asked carefully.

"This castle is old. Lots of places nobody's been in a long while. Places where you can overhear things. See things. And the Whispering Lady."

"Who's the Whispering Lady?" I asked, although I could have guessed. It had to be a Daedra. I tried to recall all I knew about Daedra, narrowing the possibilities down.

"She won't tell me her name. I've gotten good at listening to keyholes. At the door in the basement, I hear her talking to me. I thought I was caught, but she started telling me even more secrets. But I can't open the door."

"Where is this door?" I pursed my lips.

"In the basement. Trust me, you'll see it. I bet she'll talk to you too." He gave me a knowing look and I felt my stomach churn.

The door wasn't difficult to find, just as Nelkir said. Feeling like an idiot, I put my ear to the door and waited.

A chilling female voice filled my ears. It was unlike anything I had ever experienced. The only Daedra I had come in contact with was Merida, but even she wasn't considered inherently evil.

 _"_ _At last,"_ she said. _"I've been waiting for someone more fit to carry out my will. The child is spirited, but lacks…agency."_

"Is there someone behind the door?" I asked doubtfully.

 _"_ _Regrettably, I cannot reach your plane so directly. But I forgive you for not knowing who I am. Few hear my whispers anymore. I am Mephala, the Lady of Whispers. I tug at the web of connections between mortals. Love, hatred, loyalty, betrayal. The boy was good at sussing out secrets. You, I expect to take a more active role."_

I pursed my lips. "He is just a child! You filled his head with things a child should not know." I accused her and regretted it instantly.

She laughed and I held back a scream. The sound of her voice was as sharp as a pin. My ears were protesting from how loud she was. _"I know you are romantically involved with the Jarl, but you just_ tolerate _his children, don't you? And they care for you even less. I have heard their prayers. Dagny and Nelkir want you dead. To them you are just the whore that is corrupting their father and is trying to replace their mother. You know that Balgruuf will drop you when he finds the next pretty, young warrior to take to his bed."_

I covered my ears, trying to ignore her. Mephala's voice was ringing inside my head and I sunk to my knees. I didn't want to hear any more! But I couldn't speak and she continued to punish me for talking back to her.

 _"_ _Hmm…Do you not wonder if he is not bedding others already? You are gone for awfully long periods of time. Do you really think he is faithful towards you?"_ She laughed again.

"You're lying," I managed to squeak out.

 _"_ _Maybe, maybe not."_ She said tauntingly. _"If you wish to help the child, you must open this door."_

I paled. "If I do, will you release your influence on him?"

Silence. I waited for her voice for several minutes. When she finally spoke, I felt the gooseflesh rise up onto my skin. _"Hmm. Yes, I suppose that will do. The child is limited. A piece of my power has been locked behind this door, and even my eyes cannot see past the seals. I'd rather it be in the hands of an ambitious and talented person such as yourself."_

"How do I open the door?"

 _"_ _The whole of Whiterun is ripe with paranoia and tension. The Jarl's court is right to fear the power I hold behind this door. The Jarl trusts few, and they will be his undoing. The dark child knows of what I speak. Let him guide your path."_

I knew she was done speaking to me. I slowly walked upstairs, pale faced as I passed Balgruuf to go find Nelkir again. He was in his bedroom pacing back and forth. He didn't look at me when I walked in. "You…you know the Whispering Lady, don't you. I can tell," he whispered.

"Do you know how to open the Whispering Door?" I blurted out.

He frowned, finally looking me in the eye. "I told you, I know everything about this castle. For some reason that door is special. Only two people can open it, Balgruuf and Farengar, the court wizard. How you get it from them is up to you. Nobody would notice if Farengar went missing, I promise you."

"Probably not," I agreed reluctantly.

(~~)

I asked Balgruuf to meet me in his bedroom so we could discuss the situation. I sat crossed legged on his bed and waited for him to finish some business. "Sotteta, what happened?" He blurted out as soon as he saw me on his bed.

I sighed. "I talked to Nelkir and he knew things…Secrets about you…"

"Like what?" He sat down beside me.

I gulped. "Like how you feel about the Thalmor, about your Talos worship…and um…"

He looked worried. "What else?"

I looked down into my lap. "He said that he has a different mother than his siblings. Is…that true?"

He met my eyes and all I could see was shame. "Yes. It is."

I felt hurt. "Why didn't you tell me? After all we've talked about on our nights together and you never brought this up…" I pouted.

He moved closer beside me. "I'm sorry Sotteta. I really am. I can't even think of a reason why I have kept this from you. I have no excuse."

I offered him a half smile. "Will you tell me what happened?" I asked tentatively.

"My wife's name was Eigma. We married mostly for strategic reasons but we had developed a good friendship before we were married. We grew to love each other over the years, but even still I don't believe we were meant to be together. After she gave birth to Dagny she became distant and barely spoke a word to me. I was too dense to realize that she was sick. I blamed her mood on 'female troubles'." He scoffed. "I was an idiot."

"I'm sorry," I said sympathetically leaning my head on his shoulder.

He put his arm around me. "Because she was so distant, I assumed she was tired of me. I began to notice Eigma's Housecarl, Rangela. I began to recognize the way she looked at me. That was my first infidelity of my marriage." He sighed. "Rangela and I developed a relationship and of course as luck would have it, she became pregnant."

I kissed his neck, a gesture I knew comforted him. He continued speaking. "Eigma found out and to save her name from the scandal, she and Rangela left Skyrim for Rangela's confinement. No one but my close family knows about it, not even Nelkir himself.

"Rangela died during childbirth and Eigma brought Nelkir back home to Whiterun. She treated him as her own child but I knew she couldn't get over the betrayal of her husband and her best friend. She died of her illness soon after."

I looked at his face then, and I saw the regret and pain in his eyes. "Is that why you remained a widow for so long?" I asked quietly.

"I didn't want to tarnish her memory. It's my fault that she died. I wish she knew how sorry I was, how much regret I have for hurting her." He hung his head in shame.

"Oh sweetie, she knows how sorry you are. You can't live your life with all this regret." I wrapped my arms around his neck.

"Sotteta, it wasn't until I met you that I forgot my guilt."

"What do you mean?"

"I never felt about Eigma the way I feel about you. You are like the sun; you give me light in the darkest of times. When I realized I loved you, I also realized that I never loved Eigma the same way. When you walk in a room, I instantly become happier, no matter what mood I'm in. I've never had that before. One of the reasons I never approached you is because of how guilty I felt. If I couldn't love my own wife properly how could I love someone else? I didn't deserve Eigma and I definitely didn't deserve you." He gave me a weak smile. "And I still don't. But, when I look at you, I forget how guilty I'm supposed to feel. I know this doesn't make any sense…It's just a strange feeling."

"You deserve to be happy Balgruuf." I stated with a wry smile. I loved him when he babbled.

"With you, I am." He kissed me lightly, looking relieved.

I beamed. "Thank you for telling me all this. I know it must have been difficult."

He nodded. "You deserve to know. Now, what happened with Nelkir?"

"Well…I asked him how he knew these secrets, and he said that there was a certain door in the basement of Dragonsreach where this woman called 'the Whispering Lady' talks to him when he puts his ear to the keyhole."

"The Whispering Lady?" Balgruuf asked sceptically.

"Yes, I had my suspicions to begin with, but then when I went downstairs to check for myself, she started talking to me." I looked him in the eye. "It's the Daedric Prince Mephala. The Lady of Whispers."

Balgruuf went pale. "Mephala is haunting Dragonsreach?" I could tell by his tone that he didn't quite believe it himself.

I laughed bitterly. "In a manner of speaking. Either way she wants me to open the door. A piece of her power is locked behind it. I need the key."

He shook his head. "Sotteta…What did she say to you?"

I sighed. "She told me how you were cheating on me and how your children wanted me dead."

"What!? Sotteta...You know that's crazy!"

"I know it is. I don't believe her. It's just her style. She likes to turn mortals against one another. But…I still didn't want to hear it." I frowned. "Anyways, she wants someone to be her champion. She just used Nelkir until someone more suitable came around."

Balgruuf's eyes went wide. "Oh Sotteta…No!"

I crossed my arms over my chest. "My mind is made up Balgruuf. She agreed to release her influence from Nelkir if I took her artifact for myself. I'm guessing it's some kind of weapon."

"Getting involved with Daedra is not a good idea. You could get hurt…She'll keep you under her influence." He was starting to panic.

"Daedra never get too involved with mortal affairs. I'll be fine. I'm the Dragonborn. My will is very strong. It's better me than your son. He shouldn't get tangled in this. All I can hope is that she'll keep her promise to me." I managed to smile.

"But…Sotteta…I'm afraid for you." He put a gentle hand on my face.

I placed my own hand on top of his. "I'll be fine love. Please don't worry."

"I always worry about you. This time especially."

"I have the chance to help your son. I need to take it." I said firmly.

He exhaled sharply. "I admire your determination. Which door is it?"

"It's been unused for many years. It's a lone door in the basement. I don't know how to describe it."

"How about I go with you and we can – "

"No!" I interrupted. "You can't. I don't want her to hurt you!" I gripped onto his robes desperately.

"Okay Sotteta, relax. I'll give you the ring of keys for the basement and you can try all the keys in the lock." He gave me a heavy ring of keys from his pockets and I accepted it gratefully.

We walked out into the main hall together in silence. When we got to his throne, he pulled me into his arms. "Be careful princess," he whispered.

(~~)

When I got to the door, I pulled out Balgruuf's ring of keys and inspected them all. The old rusty key in the middle looked promising, so I put the key in the lock and it opened instantly. When I went inside the room, there was a wooden table with an old sword and a book.

 _"_ _Excellent work!"_ Mephala's voice filled my head again and I cringed. _"Now, I trust you're sharp enough to see that the sword doesn't match the description of the Ebony Blade you may know. It has languished too long outside the winds of alliance and betrayal. To return to its past glory, it must first drink the blood of deceit. Your world is admirably seeped in lies and inclinations. My blade is a darling leech that feeds on deceptions and nourishes its master. Seek out those closest to you. The final pluck of their misguided heartstrings will accompany my blade in the song of your grandeur."_

She was gone after that. I looked at the blade, picked it up and examined it. It wasn't at all impressive. I opened the book entitled "Admonition Against Ebony"

" _To anyone reading this: BEWARE THIS BLADE_

 _It is hoped that the only people having access to the room should be the Jarl of Whiterun and his trusted wizard. If anyone else is reading this, please understand the magnitude of your folly, turn around, and never even speak of this room or this blade to anyone._

 _It has corrupted and perverted the desires of great men and women. Yet its power is without equal – to kill while your victim smiles at you. Only a daedra most foul could have concocted such a malevolent and twisted weapon. But it appears that all who wield it end up with the crazed eyes of those wild men who roam the halls chattering with rabbits._

 _It is not to be trifled with. Not even the hottest fires of the Skyforge could melt it; indeed the coals themselves seemed to cool when it was placed within. We cannot destroy it, and we would not have it fall into the hands of our enemies. So we keep it, hidden, dark and deep within Dragonsreach, never to be used._

 _Woe be to any who choose to take it._ "

I closed my eyes in thought. What should I even do with the blade now that I have it? If I left it here where I found it there was a chance that Mephala would just come back and hurt someone else.

I just stared at the blade as I walked up the stairs into the Great Hall, aware of Balgruuf's eyes on me. "Sotteta…Sotteta!" He called after me as I walked upstairs, heading for the Great Porch. I all but ignored him as I spent my attention on the blade.

A couple of guards opened the large doors for me and I stepped out, heading for the place where I captured Odahviing so long ago. I knew Balgruuf was following me, but it didn't register that he was actually there until he placed his hand on my shoulder. I nearly jumped out of my skin. "What the fuck are you doing!?" I snapped at him, trying to hit him with the blade. All I could see was red inside my vision. I wanted to hurt him.

He raised an eyebrow and with his military training avoided the blow, and pinned my sword arm behind my back. "Sotteta…" His tone of voice was hurt.

I dropped the blade in shame, hearing it clatter on the floor. I hung my head, feeling the tears welling up inside my eyes. "Balgruuf…" I gripped onto his robes. "I'm sorry," I sobbed. "I don't know what came over me."

"I assume it was Mephala." He said, wiping my tears away with his fingers. "Maybe you should have left that blade where you found it."

"No…I can't risk her coming back into the castle again. I've just got to figure out what to do with the blade in the meantime. I mean, I can't use it. It gets its power from slaying innocents."

He pulled me into his chest. "Sotteta…Are you her champion now?"

I sighed with melancholy. "I suppose I am. I just hope she kept up her end of the bargain. We should check on Nelkir and see if he's alright."

"Yes we should." He agreed, but neither one of us moved. I walked to the edge of the porch and looked out into Skyrim. I felt Balgruuf's hands on my shoulders and then his lips on my neck. "I missed you, you know. You worried me for days on end, and now you have yourself involved with another Daedric Prince. You've risked your life to save my son. I can't describe how much that means to me. You're always surprising me."

I felt shivers going down my spine from his lips at my neck. I felt his hand climb up my shirt, searching for a breast. He rolled my nipple gently with his fingers. "Balgruuf…Can we go to the bedroom?" I squeaked.

"What's wrong with right here?" He chuckled into my ear.

I turned to face him. "There are people around!"

He smirked. "I'm the Jarl of Whiterun. I can change that." He walked up to a male guard. "All of you leave please, and don't let anyone come in."

"Yes my Jarl." The guard answered, and signaled the rest of his comrades to leave the porch.

"See? Now we're alone," Balgruuf grinned when the doors closed with a loud thud.

I rolled my eyes. "You really want to do this here?"

In answer, he kissed me aggressively, pushing me against one of the hay bales. "My, you're acting like a teenager," I joked.

He smiled knowingly as he practically tore my outfit off my body. "Woman, you make me young."

I kissed him, feeling his hands roaming hungrily around my body. I helped him out of his clothes and pulled him against me. His bare chest was pressed tightly against my breasts and he gripped my buttocks as he quickly entered me. "Hmm, I missed you beautiful." He whispered in my ear when he started to thrust slowly inside me.

"I missed you _my lord_." I dug my nails into his back, while grinding my hips against him to keep in time with his movements.

My legs wrapped around his body, pulling him closer inside me when I felt his tongue on my nipple. He suckled me lovingly and the added pressure was enough to send me closer to the edge. I loved him so much, it almost hurt my heart. He was the perfect man and he deserved me to be around for a lot longer than I had been. He needed me just as much as I needed him.

I cried out when my orgasm ripped through me, noticing Balgruuf watching me hungrily. He gripped onto my arms and I pulled his head down into my shoulders. He moved quickly inside me and he groaned when he found his release, spilling his seed into my depths. I kissed him afterwards, holding him tightly in my arms.

"I love you," I whispered, twirling his hair in my fingers.

He gave me a satisfied smile. "I love you." He rolled off of me and took a spot beside me on the hay pile.

"Gods, that was really a roll in the hay." I murmured.

He laughed. "I guess we can cross that off the list of odd places to have sex."

I traced a lazy pattern on his chest with my fingers. "Well you do have this big castle…" I grinned.

He grinned back and started putting on some clothes. I grabbed his circlet before he could and put it on my head. "Well, how do I look?"

He smirked. "It's a little big love. But, I admit you look better in it than I do."

I flushed happily and joined him in getting dressed. "Do I have hay in my hair?"

Balgruuf laughed and started picking out hay straws from me. "Just a little bit." When we were decent and I picked up the Ebony Blade, he put his arm around me and we walked back into Dragonsreach. I wasn't oblivious of the looks that the guards were giving us and we walked back to the Great Hall.

"Can I have my circlet back?" Balgruuf asked when we got to his throne.

"Hmm…" I put a finger on my lips. "I'd rather not."

"Tell you what, if you give this back to me, I'll buy you your own." He took it carefully off my head.

I pouted teasingly. "But I'd rather have yours."

He rolled his eyes. "You really are insatiable." He glanced at someone behind me. "Hello Nelkir."

Nelkir's eyes looked hollow. "Hello father."

"How are you feeling?"

"I feel…Better. Can I talk to Sotteta for a minute please?"

"Sure thing," I said.

We walked into a different room and Nelkir and I sat down on chairs. "Nelkir are you really okay?"

The evil aura was gone from his persona. "Sotteta…I remember everything she said to me. I remember everything I did. The things I said to my father…To you. I…I'm sorry."

I smiled. "Your father loves you. He knows why you said those things. Don't worry about The Whispering Lady anymore, okay? She's my responsibility now."

"You got her to leave me alone didn't you?"

"Yes. She won't be bothering you anymore. I would advise you…Stay away from strange voices behind doors, okay?"

"Thank you…"

I stared at him, noticing how haunted he looked. "Listen Nelkir. I've dealt with Daedra before, and it's not a pleasant experience. Don't feel like you're being blamed for what happened. You're young. Don't let this experience change you. If you ever have problems, come see me. I understand what you're going through."

His eyes widened. "You want to help me after what…After the things I said to you?"

"Of course." I smiled kindly. "You're Balgruuf's son. I want you safe."

"Will father forgive me?" He whispered.

"I promise. Shall we go talk to him now?" I held out my hand and he took it hesitantly.

We walked together into the Great Hall, towards a smiling Balgruuf. "Go on," I encouraged Nelkir.

"Father…I'm sorry…" He looked down, afraid to face him.

Balgruuf smiled at me standing behind Nelkir. I smiled back. "Don't worry son. It will all be okay." I joined Balgruuf by his side.

"It will?" Nelkir's eyes were full of hope for the first time since I've known him.

"Yes, I believe it will." I smiled at my family.


End file.
